Penultimate
by Rainbow R
Summary: If they had known being a Pokemon trainer was this hard, Aiko and Toshi would have never signed up. Between loosing Pokemon battles and money to trainers, insane locals and pedophiles, The goal has changed from becoming champion to surving.


**PENULTIMATE-means second to last - as in LOSER **

**FULL SUMMARY: If they had known being a Pokemon trainer was this hard, Aiko and Toshi would have never signed up. Between loosing Pokemon battles(and money) to trainers, pedophiles, psyco rivals, tall grass, wild Pokemon, the cost of pokeballs, bitter gym leaders and disobedient pokemon the goal has ****change from becoming champion surviving.**

**A/N: I'm writing a pokemon story~ I'm actually very proud of this. I tried very hard, but I'm kinda worried do my characters come off mary-sueish? I tried so hard not to do that! I think I did well for a 13 year-old, it's nothing professional thats for sure but..I'm proud of it! Please if you find any mistakes I misses tell me and reviews mean the world to me! I would love to hear what you people think of this!**

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><p>"One...Two..Three.."<p>

A poorly dressed girl stood in front of a tree with her chubby hands covering her face. The tree was covered in a greenish moss giving off an outdoorsy scent making the little girl wrinkle her freckle covered nose. Her lips where stretched out in a seemingly unbreakable smile.

"Four...Five..."

She was small for her age standing at a solid height of 42 inches and had wavy blond hair that was always in knots. Her chubby arms and legs where caked in mud from playing outside all day. Her name was Aiko.

"Six..Seven..Eight.."

A little boy clutching a beloved Skitty named Skittle to his chest looked around desperately in search for a place to hide. His spiky blond hair laid tangled and uncombed on his scalp. His brown eyes had a worried glint in them. Scanning the forest behind their house one more time he tried to find a good place to hide. Not finding any, the worried glint in his eyes grew.

"Nine.."

Finally deciding screw it he dived into some nearby bushes. Unintentionally knocking the breath out of the Skitty. His name was Toshi.

"Ten! Ready or not here I come!" The girl cried out as loud as her little lungs would let her dashing away from the mossy tree and into the forest.

Giggling as she ran looked behind trees and in ditches knowing all along her twin was under the bushes by the mossy tree. Smiling happily to herself she thought 'he always hides under those bushes! He makes himself so easy to find!' Oblivious to her surroundings she skipped over to the bushes smirking victoriously until she heard a prideful "Skitty!".

Whipping her head around so fast its a miracle her neck didn't snap, Aiko saw Toshi standing on the unofficial base now wearing the victorious smirk and holding Skittle in the crook of his arm. "Took ya long 'nough! I was standing here for hours!"

"Skit!" Skittle put in her two sense happily.

Aiko tried to frown but couldn't stop a smile from working its way on her face. Running over to her brother she jumped on him and wrapped her arms around his neck laughing as he fell unbalanced. Neither noticing they were crushing the Skitty in between them.

Letting go of Toshi, Aiko snatched up the now purring Pokemon and cuddled it. "Who's the cutest Skitty? Skittle that's who!" The blond headed girl praised the Skitty petting it.

_She would miss that Skitty._

"Skit! Skit!" The Skitty replied licking Aiko's cheek.

Giggling she shifted Skittle into the crook of her arm to hold out a hand for Toshi. Grasping her hand the brown eyed boy got up and looked at the afternoon sky and sighed. "It's getting kinda late..maybe we should head home.."

"What? Why! We just got here!" Puffing her cheeks out Aiko crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly, "I don't wanna." Stomping her foot down the brown eyed girl tried not to giggle as the Skitty continued to lick her cheek.

Toshi sweat dropped. They had been out here for hours, their dirty faces and tangled hair was proof of it. 'Mom and Dad aren't going to be happy if we come back home any later..' Sighing Toshi, the more mature one out of the two, tried to plead his stubborn twin to go home with him. "Come on..I bet mom already has supper on the table."

He watch as his sister pouted, thinking about her mothers yummy food. Looking into her blond haired twins knowning eyes her resolved weakened until it fully broke. "Fine.." Setting Skittle down Aiko watched as the pokemon raced off back to the house before getting an idea. "Race ya!" and with that Aiko raced off after Skittle to the house.

"No fair! Head start!" Toshi yelled before racing after his silly twin.

_He missed those carefree days._

_XXX_

Footsteps echoed through the quiet household.

One small hand pushed the creaky door opened.

Nervous eyes darted around the room searching for something.

Finding what they were seeking, the eyes stopped moving and a small mouth opened.

"Toshi.." A unsure voice ringed out in the night.

Grumbling and rolling over the unconscious boy spiky hair boy didn't respond. Dull nervous eyes stared back debating whether or not if they were to old to not be sleeping alone.

The unconscious boy snored loudly.

Smiling now at her childish doubts, the small ten year old crawled in her twins bed and cuddled up against him like he was a giant Teddiursa. Finding comfort there next to her sleeping twin Aiko was finally able to calm her nerves and go to sleep.

After all tomorrow was a big day for the twins. They were finally, after a ten year wait, Starting there pokemon journey.

"OW!"

Wildly turning over Toshi had slammed his head into Aiko's, effectively ruining the peaceful movement and waking himself up. Not to mention hurting both of them in the process. Holding his now aching head, Toshi glared at his whimpering sister.

"Aiko how many times do I have to tell you, stop coming in here late at night!" He yelled out aggravated.

"Well if I knew you were going to hurt me I wouldn't have snuck in here in the first place! That really hurt!" Aiko snapped back also holding her head.

Glaring at the blond hair nincompoop Toshi sighed and grabbed his twin and pulled the covers over them. Making sure Aiko was completely covered the spiky haired boy muttered, "Whatever just go back to sleep."

And after laying there for awhile that's exactly what she did with a sleepy smile on her face. The conscious twin looked down and smiled. Wrapping his arms tighter around his sleeping twin holding her closer to himself, he to went the sleep with a smile on his face.

_Tomorrow was a big day._

"Wake up! Wake UPPP!" is what something Toshi could swear was a banshee woke up the blond early in the morning.

Grumbling, the blond just rolled over and snuggled further into his covers trying to ignore the banshee who was now shaking his shoulder. As the shaking on his shoulder got more persistent Toshi got more annoyed. Then the poking started. "Toshi. Toshi. Get up. Get up. Get-"

"OH FOR GODS SAKE I'M UP!" Toshi yelled shooting up from his bed glaring at his annoying twin who happened to be in the middle of poking his cheek.

"Well maybe you should have said that sooner instead of just laying there and letting me poke your cheek." Aiko sniffed. She was just excited about starting her Pokemon journey, not everybody was so high strung like him. He had been laying there forever they wouldn't have enough time to do anything is she hadn't woke him up. Speaking of time...Aiko looked down at the digital clock sitting on table beside Toshi's bed in horror.

5:23 a.m.

"WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE!"

**PENULTIMATE**

Professor Elm sighed at the lack of excited trainers coming in his doors for new Pokemon. He had only gave out five Pokemon in total and still had three left. What was wrong? Didn't anyone want to be a Pokemon trainer these days?

The thoughtful professor snapped out of his daze as he heard the labs automatic doors open. A joyful smile was brought to his face when he recognized the boy from his Pokemon class. Yes, Professor Elm remembered this boy.

"_Can you kill the other trainers Pokemon?"_

Even though it was a complete lapse in judgment on his part, Professor Elm was eager to make this boy see good in human and Pokemon relationships.

That's why the brown haired professor thought a lighthearted Chikorita was the best choice for the bitter teal headed boy.

So that's exactly what kind of Pokemon Professor Elm gave him.

"Ah Dell it's nice to see you again, you must be here for your Pokemon!" Elm welcomed as he headed to the backrooom to get the teal headed boys Pokemon.

As the brown haired man reached for the pokeball marked with a green sharpie slash he could barely contain his glee. In all honestly he thought he was changing someones life, and he was really just not in the way he thought. Walking back into the room with the Pokemon in hand Professor Elm smiled impishly.

No was walking out of this lab with a Pokemon without listening to a long speech if he could help it.

Groans of boredom could be heard coming out of the lab all day.


End file.
